Comedian Freddie Starr has brought a damages claim against a woman who says he groped her when she was a 15 year-old in the audience at a Jimmy Savile show.

The 72-year-old entertainer was at London’s High Court in a wheelchair to face his accuser, Karin Ward, at the start of a two-week slander and libel trial before Mr Justice Nicol.

He told the judge, who is hearing the case without a jury, that he did not at first remember appearing on Clunk Click in March 1974 – 41years ago – until footage showed him in the studio, with Ms Ward in the audience behind him.

14 year old Karin Ward (in yellow) behind Freddie Starr on Clunk Click 1974 on the BBC. She accused comedian Starr of trying to molest her in Jimmy Savile's dressing room while the show was being filmed.

Questioned by Ms Ward’s advocate, David Price QC, Starr rejected the allegation that he had groped the teenager in Savile’s dressing-room and called her a “t**less wonder”.

He said: “It just never happened. It was not in my moral compass. My moral compass will not allow me to do that.”

Starr, who was married to the second of his four wives at the time, said he had never groped anyone in his life and it was untrue that he had “wandering hands”.

The father-of-five also denied Ms Ward’s claim that he smelt of alcohol which frightened her – as he did not drink, and never had done.

Starr, of Studley, Warwickshire, who is suing over interviews given to the BBC and ITV in October 2012 and statements on a website and in an eBook about Ms Ward’s life, claims he has lost £300,000 because of shows cancelled as a result of the allegations.

Karin Ward

Ms Ward, 56, denies the claims and relies on the defences of justification and public interest.

Mr Price asked Starr about the evidence of another 15-year-old girl who, like Ms Ward, was a pupil of Duncroft Approved School at the time, who said Starr gave her a piece of his pubic hair as a “souvenir” of the evening.

Starr said: “I’ve never heard so much garbage in my life.”

Mr Price said Starr’s response in his witness statement was that it could not have happened because the very tight trousers he wore in the ‘70s would have prevented him putting his hand down his groin.

Starr replied: “That would be sick.”

Mr Price said: “It would be sick if you did it, and would show a sexual interest in young girls of that age.”

Starr said he was shocked when he heard about the girl’s allegation: “I certainly wouldn’t do that. It’s sick and disgusting.”

He also dismissed as “fiction and lies” a claim by another 15-year-old girl who attended the show that Starr had engaged in a “passionate French kiss” with her.

“My wife was with me at that show. I had three lovely children. I don’t see how I could have acted so inappropriately.”